Al-Baqarah: The Cow

Part 1

CHAPTER 2

Al-Baqarah: The Cow

(REVEALED AT MADÍNAH: 40 sections; 286 verses)

The name of this chapter is taken from the story narrated in vv. 67–71, regarding theslaughter of a cow. As this chapter deals chiefly with the Jews, and as cow-worship, asshown in footnotes 51b and 67a, was the particular form of idolatry which took a holdamong the Jews, the importance of that incident seems to have been rightly estimated ingiving this chapter the name that it bears.

This chapter deals mainly with the Jews and their contentions against Islåm, andhence it is that much of the legislation, details of which necessarily differ from the Jewishlaw, and most of the Jewish objections to the prophethood of Mu√ammad — peace andblessings of Allåh be on him! — are dealt with in this chapter. The chapter opens with a brief statement of the fundamental principles of Islåm, and, after mentioning the consequences of their acceptance or rejection in the first section, and dealing with lip-profession in the second, draws an inference of the truth of those principles, and moreparticularly of Divine Unity, by referring to the work of God in nature, in the third. Thefourth section proceeds to show that man is endowed with vast capabilities but needsDivine revelation for his perfection, and this is illustrated in the story of Adam. The fifthsection speaks of the Israelites, who are told how the Qur’ån fulfils the prophecies metwith in their books, and the next two sections are devoted to Divine favours to them andtheir stubbornness, being followed by three others which speak of their degeneration,their tendency to cow-worship, their hard-heartedness and their violation of covenants.The eleventh section speaks of their objections to the Holy Prophet, and the twelfth refersto their great enmity and to their plans against him. The thirteenth states that formerscriptures are abrogated and a better and more advanced code is given in Islåm, the religion of entire submission. The next section points out that partial good is met with inall religions, but it is only in Islåm that religion attains to perfection. The fifteenthreminds the Israelites of the covenant with Abraham, which required the raising of aprophet from among the Ishmaelites, being followed by another dealing with the religionof the great patriarch. The subject of the Ka‘bah, the house built by Abraham, as the newqiblah, is thus introduced, and the next two sections, while declaring the Ka‘bah to be thenew centre of spiritual activity, also give reasons for the change. The nineteenth warnsthe Muslims that they must undergo hard trials to establish the Truth; and that it will ultimately triumph, is made clear in the twentieth section. Certain minor differences withthe Jewish law are then introduced as against the common principle of the doctrine ofUnity, and thus the laws relating to foods, retaliation, bequests, fasting, fighting, pilgrim-age, wine, gambling, orphans, marital obligations, divorce and widowhood are discussed

6

Part 1] THE COW 7

in the eleven sections that follow. The next two, the 32nd and the 33rd, make a reversionto the subject of fighting, which was necessary if the Muslims would escape nationaldeath, and illustrations are given from Israelite history. We are then told in the thirty-fourth section of the mighty power of Allåh to give life to the dead, and the Muslims aretold that they should not use compulsion in the matter of religion, as their opponents haddone. Two instances are then quoted in the following section, one from the history ofAbraham and the other from Israelite history, showing how dead nations are raised to life.But national growth and prosperity, we are immediately told in the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh sections, depend on acts of sacrifice, and every penny spent in the cause of truthyields seven hundredfold, and even much more, fruit. The Muslims, being thus promisedabundance of wealth as the result of their sacrifices, are warned in the following sectionagainst usurious dealings which breed an inordinate love of wealth, for the amassing ofwealth was not the goal of a Muslim’s life. They are at the same time told, in the thirty-ninth section, to guard their property rights by the employment of writing in their transactions and securing evidence. In conclusion, they are taught a prayer for the ultimate triumph of the Truth. Thus we find no break in the continuity of the subject, andthe change, whenever necessary, is introduced quite naturally.

There is a clear connection between this chapter and the last one. There in the concluding words is a prayer for being guided on the right path (1:5), while here thatguidance is afforded in the opening words: “This book, there is no doubt in it, is aguide” (v. 2). But though this chapter follows the Fåti√ah, it is really the first chapter,because the Fåti√ah is placed at the head, being the essence of the whole of the Qur’ån.This affords very clear evidence of the wisdom displayed in the arrangement of thechapters of the Holy Book. For this chapter fittingly opens with a prelude as to the objectwhich is aimed at in the revelation of the Holy Qur’ån, and contains in its very openingverses the fundamental principles of the Islamic religion, which are also in fact the fundamental principles which can form the basis of the natural religion of man. Theseprinciples are five in number, three of them containing theoretical ordinances or articlesof belief and two containing practical ordinances or principles of action. The theoreticalordinances are a belief in the Unseen, i.e. Allåh, in Divine revelation to the Holy Prophetas well as to the prophets before him, and in the life to come, while on the practical sideis mentioned prayer, which is the source from which springs true Divine love, and charity in its broadest sense. The result of the acceptance of these fundamental principles is mentioned in v. 5, being guidance in the right direction and success.Similarly, it is with a reiteration of the broad principles of the Islamic faith and with aprayer for the triumph of the Truth that the chapter ends, and the whole of the chapter isreally an illustration of the truth of the principles enunciated in its beginning.

This chapter was revealed in Madßnah, and belongs to the earliest Madßnah revelations. The main portion of it belongs to the 1st and 2nd years of the Hijrah, but italso contains verses which were revealed later, some of them towards the close of theProphet’s life.

SECTION 1: Fundamental Principles of Islåm

In the name of Allåh, the Beneficent,the Merciful.

1 I, Allåh, am the best Knower.a

2 Thisa Book,b there is no doubt init, is a guide to those who keep theirduty,c

1a. The original words are alif, låm, mßm. Translations of the Holy Qur’ån general-ly leave abbreviations, like the one occurring here, untranslated. The combinations ofletters or single letters occurring at the commencement of several chapters, 29 in all, arecalled muqa∆∆a‘åt, and according to the best received opinion these letters are abbrevi-ations standing for words. The Arabs used similar letters in their verses. Abbreviationsare known to all languages, the only peculiarity of their use in Arabic literature beingthat the letters carry different meanings in different places, and the meaning is decidedin each case by the context. Such is the opinion of I‘Ab (AH). Both he and IMsd agreein interpreting alif, låm, mßm, occuring here as well as at the commencement of the 3rd,29th, 30th, 31st and 32nd chapters of the Holy Qur’ån as meaning I, Allåh, am the bestKnower, alif standing for ana, låm for Allåh, and mßm for a‘lam (AH, IJ), being respec-tively the first, the middle and the last letters of the words for which they stand. Othersregard them as contractions for some Divine attribute. That they may also serve as thenames of chapters is no ground for supposing that they carry no significance. Thestrange suggestion of Golius that alif, låm, mßm stands for amr-li-Mu√ammad, which issaid to mean at the command of Mu√ammad, is not only devoid of authority but is alsogrammatically incorrect. Rodwell’s statement, made in his comment, on the significanceof the letter n∂n, occurring in the beginning of chapter 68, that “the meaning of this, andof the similar symbols throughout the Qur’ån, was unknown to the Muhammadansthemselves even in the first century”, is equally devoid of truth. The significance ofthese letters can in most cases be traced to the Companions of the Holy Prophet, andhence the suggestion that these were “private marks” or initial letters attached by theirproprietor to the copies furnished to Zaid, when effecting his recension of the text under‘Uthmån, is not even worthy of consideration. It is further opposed to the surest histori-cal testimony, which proves beyond all doubt that these letters were recited as parts ofthe chapters in the time of the Prophet himself.

2a. Palmer translates the word dhålika as that, and thinks that its rendering as this isan error, but as LL says: “Like as a person held in mean estimation is indicated byhådhå which denotes a thing that is near, so, on account of its high degree of estimationa thing that is approved is indicated by dhålika, whereby one indicates a thing that isremote.”

2b. The Qur’ån is here called al-Kitåb, or the Book. The root word kataba means hewrote and also he brought together (LL) and kitåb, or book, is a writing which is complete in itself. Thus a letter may also be called a kitåb, and in this sense the wordoccurs in 27:28, 29. The application of the word kitåb to the Holy Qur’ån occurs in veryearly revelations, and the use of the word shows clearly that the Qur’ån was from thefirst meant to be a complete book and one that existed not only in the memory of menbut also in visible characters on writing material, for otherwise it could not be called al-Kitåb.

2c, see next page.

8 Ch. 2: THE COW [Al-Baqarah

Part 1] FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF ISLÅM 9

3 Who believe in the Unseena andkeep up prayer and spend out of whatWe have given them,b

4 And who believe in that whichhas been revealed to thee and thatwhich was revealed before thee,a andof the Hereafterb they are sure.

2c. I make a departure here from the rendering of the word muttaqß, which Englishtranslators generally render into God-fearing or pious. The root is waqå, and conveysthe sense of saving, guarding, or preserving (LL). According to R, wiqåyah signifies theguarding of a thing from that which harms or injures it. The verb of which muttaqß is thenominative form is ittaqå, which means, he preserved or guarded himself exceedingly.“In the conventional language of the law”, according to LL, “he preserved or guardedhimself exceedingly from sin or what would harm him in the world to come.” Hence theword muttaqß may properly be translated only as one who guards himself against evil, orone who is careful of, or has regard for, or keeps his duty. The Qur’ån is here describedas affording guidance to those who keep their duty, because the sense of keeping hisduty is innate in man, and everyone who has regard for duty is true to nature and true tohimself. No guidance would benefit a man who has no regard for his duty. Adopting thealternative meaning, those who guard against evil, the significance is that guardingagainst evil or being saved from sin is the first stage in man’s spiritual advancement, andthe Qur’ån lays down the principles by following which the higher stages of thatadvancement are attained.

3a. Al-ghaib is that which is unseen or unperceivable by the ordinary senses.According to R, the Unseen here stands for Allåh, a belief in Whose existence is the cardinal principle of religion. A belief in God is thus the first duty of man, the first requisite of spiritual advancement.

3b. ˝alåt means supplication or prayer. In Islåm prayer assumed a regularity and aform, and became an established institution of religion. The verb used to indicate theobservance of ©alåt is throughout the Holy Qur’ån aqåma, meaning he kept a thing or anaffair in the right state (LL), and hence it is not the mere observance of the form that theQur’ån requires, but the keeping of it in a right state, i.e. being true to the spirit of theprayer. The object of prayer is elsewhere clearly stated to be the purification of the heart(29:45). Spending out of what one has been given stands for charity in its broadestsense, or the doing of good to all creatures. This verse lays down the two prime duties ofman, the two principles of action which are necessary for spiritual advancement, andthese are prayer to God and service to humanity. After speaking of the cardinal principleof faith, a belief in God, the Holy Qur’ån now speaks of the two great principles ofaction to show how to translate faith into action.

4a. Of all the religions of the world Islåm is the only one that laid down the broadbasis of faith in all the prophets of the world, and the recognition of truth in all religionsis its distinctive characteristic. The words that which was revealed before thee includerevelations to all the nations of the world, for we are elsewhere told that “there is not apeople but a warner has gone among them” (35:24). The Qur’ån does not, however,mention all the prophets by their names, for “of them are those We have mentioned to thee and of them are those We have not mentioned to thee” (40:78). It thus requires not only a belief in Divine revelation to the Prophet Muƒammad but

4b, see next page.

5 These are on a right course fromtheir Lord and these it is that are successful.a

6 Those who disbelieve — it beingalike to them whether thou warnthem or warn them nota — they willnot believe.

7 Allåh has sealed their hearts andtheir hearing; and there is a coveringon their eyes, and for them is a griev-ous chastisement.a

a belief in Divine revelation to the whole of humanity, to all nations of the world. AMuslim is therefore one who believes in all the prophets of God, sent to any nation,whether their names are mentioned in the Holy Qur’ån or not. This is the fourth of thefundamental principles of Islåm, the second among matters relating to faith. It showsthat God has always been made known to man through Divine revelation, and that revelation is a universal fact.

4b. A belief in a life after death is the last of the five fundamental principles ofIslåm that are stated here, the third of the principles of faith. It is only this belief that canmake the generality of men conscious of the responsibility of human actions. A life afterdeath, according to Islåm, implies a state of existence which begins with death, but acomplete manifestation of which takes place later, when the fruits of the actions done inthis life take their final shape. It should be borne in mind that a belief in Allåh and abelief in the Hereafter, being respectively the first and the last of the fundamental principles of Islåm as mentioned here, often stand for a belief in all the fundamentalprinciples of Islåm, as in vv. 8, 62, etc. It is quite unwarranted to take al-Åkhirat asmeaning the message or revelation which is to come. The Qur’ån knows of no messagecoming to humanity after it. It is the last message, religion having been made perfect byit (5:3). The Åkhirat of this verse is plainly spoken of as the Last Day in v. 8.

5a. Those who accept the three principles of faith, and the two principles of action,mentioned above, are declared to be successful. The word mufliƒ is the nominative formof afla√a which means he attained to success, and includes both the good of this life andthe good of the Hereafter (T). The next two verses speak of those who disbelieve.

6a. The passage is parenthetical (AH), and should be translated as such. The ordinary rendering of the passage, which makes the parenthetical passage an enunciativeone, makes the verse meaningless, for it would then run thus: “Those who disbelieve itis alike to them whether thou warn them or warn them not; they will not believe.” Nowthis amounts to saying that no one who once disbelieves would ever believe, a statementwhich is absurd on the face of it. Treating the portion quoted above as parenthetical, themeaning is quite clear, viz., disbelievers of a particular type, i.e., those who pay no heedat all to the Prophet’s warning, cannot benefit by his preaching.

7a. It should be noted that only those disbelievers are spoken of here who so hardened their hearts as not to pay any heed to the Prophet’s preaching and warning, asclearly indicated in the previous verse; compare 7:179: “They have hearts wherewith theyunderstand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewiththey hear not. They are as cattle.” Allåh is here spoken of as having sealed their heartsand ears because He made them taste the consequences of their heedlessness.


Part 1] LIP-PROFESSION 11

SECTION 2: Lip-profession

8 And there are some people whosay: We believe in Allåh and the LastDay;a and they are not believers.

9 They seek to deceive Allåh andthose who believe, and they deceiveonly themselves and they perceivenot.a

10 In their hearts is a disease, soAllåh increased their disease, and forthem is a painful chastisement becausethey lie.a

11 And when it is said to them,Make not mischief in the land, theysay: We are but peacemakers.

12 Now surely they are the mis-chief-makers, but they perceive not.a

8a. Belief in Allåh and the Last Day is here equivalent to the profession of Islåm;see 4b. After speaking of the two classes, the accepters and the rejecters of the Prophet’smessage, the Holy Qur’ån now speaks of a third class, the insincere people who acceptthe message only with their lips. The persons spoken of in this verse are the hypocrites,who were a source of constant trouble to the Prophet at Madßnah. Before he came to thatcity, ‘Abd Allåh ibn Ubayy was a person of note there, and he expected to become theleader. But the Prophet’s advent and his recognition by all the communities of that city,as head of the state, robbed him of those dearly cherished hopes, and he along with hisfollowers adopted an attitude of hypocrisy. The case of the hypocrites is dealt with atlength here, in 3:149–181; 4:60 –152; 9:38–127, and in the 63rd chapter, and occasion-ally elsewhere. But apart from the particular class of people spoken of here who werereally enemies of Islåm in the guise of believers, there are in every religion large numbers of people whose hearts are affected with a similar spiritual disease. Theiracceptance of the Truth is only with the lips, and faith does not go deep down into theirhearts. They are loud in their claims but when there is a question of carrying out the precepts of the faith or of making any sacrifice in its cause, they lag behind. These verses may as well apply to them.

9a. Khåda‘a signifies he strove, endeavoured or desired to deceive him. One saysthis of a man when he has not attained his desire (LL). Khåda‘a also indicates, whenused concerning the Divine Being, He requited to him his deceit (T, LL); see 15a and4:142a. Khåda‘a also means he forsook, he refrained (LL).

10a. Compare 71:6, where Noah is made to say: “But my call has only made themflee the more”, though the call was meant to bring them nearer to the truth. The diseasehere stands for the weakness of their hearts (AH), for they had not the courage to denyIslåm openly, and this weakness only became the greater as the cause of Islåm becamemore and more triumphant.

12a, see next page.

13 And when it is said to them,Believe as the people believe, theysay: Shall we believe as the foolsbelieve? Now surely they are thefools, but they know not.a

14 And when they meet those whobelieve, they say, We believe; andwhen they are alone with theirdevils,a they say: Surely we are withyou, we were only mocking.

15 Allåh will pay them back theirmockery,a and He leaves them alonein their inordinacy, blindly wander-ing on.

16 These are they who buy errorfor guidance, so their bargain bringsno gain, nor are they guided.a

12a. Their idea of making peace was only this, that they mixed with both parties,but they were really taking advantage of this opportunity to sow the seeds of dissensionand mischief among the various parties. In fact, they were a constant source of mischieffor whereas outwardly they were with the Muslims, they always plotted against themand gave help to their enemies.

13a. They called the Muslims fools because they were undergoing all kinds of sufferings and making sacrifices for the sake of the Truth. The hypocrites were under theimpression that the Muslims would soon be wiped out of existence. They are told thatTruth will prosper and the half-hearted ones are really the fools.

14a. By their devils are meant their evil companions, as plainly stated in v. 76:“And when they meet those who believe, they say, We believe; and when they are apartone with another they say.” IMsd says that by their devils are meant their leaders inunbelief (IJ). Kf and Bd say that by their devils are meant those men who made them-selves like the devils in their insolence and rebellion. In fact, the word shai∆ån (devil)signifies “every insolent or rebellious one from among the jinn and the men and thebeasts” (R).

15a. According to LA, the more preferable explanation of the words Allåhu yastahzi’u bi-him is that Allåh will requite them with punishment according to theirmockery and thus, it is added, the punishment of an evil is spoken of in the terms of anevil, as is laid down elsewhere: “And the recompense of evil is punishment (or evil) likeit” (42:40). Another explanation is that given by Kf: “The meaning is the sending downof disgrace and contempt, for the object which a mocker has in view is to hold him whomhe mocks in light estimation and to bring down contempt and disgrace upon him.”

16a. They rejected the Truth and followed the error, thinking that this coursewould bring them worldly gain. They are told that they will have neither worldly gainnor guidance, and will be losers both temporally and spiritually.


17 Their parable is as the parableof one who kindles a fire,a but whenit illumines all around him, Allåhtakes away their light,b and leavesthem in darkness — they cannot see.

18 Deaf, dumb, (and) blind,a sothey return not:

19 Or like abundant rain from theclouda in which is darkness, andthunder and lightning; they put theirfingers into their ears because of thethunder-peal, for fear of death.b AndAllåh encompasses the disbelievers.

20 The lightning almost takes awaytheir sight. Whenever it shines onthem they walk in it, and when itbecomes dark to them they standstill. And if Allåh had pleased, Hewould have taken away their hearingand their sight. Surely Allåh isPossessor of power over all things.

17a. The kindler of the fire is the Holy Prophet, who kindled the torch of light. Theopening words of a √adßth are: “My example is the example of a man who kindles afire...” (B. 81:26). The personal pronouns used lend weight to this interpretation. Thekindler of the fire and the illuminer is one, while those whose light is taken away aremany. This interpretation of the parable is, moreover, in accordance with the next parable, where the rain is unanimously agreed upon as representing the Divine Revelation.

17b. The light of their eyes, which alone could make them take advantage of thelight which was lit up by the Prophet, was taken away. The act of taking away the lightis attributed to Allåh, as the remote cause of the disappearance of their sight.

18a. The description seems to apply to those spoken of in v. 6, and accordingly thefirst parable may apply to them instead of to the hypocrites; or it may apply to thosehypocrites who persisted in the wrong course and refused to take any advantage of thelight and guidance brought by the Prophet.

19a. Samå’ is literally the higher or the upper, or the highest or the uppermost part of anything, and it means the sky or the heaven, the clouds or a cloud (T). It is a collective noun and is used both as singular and plural (LL).

19b. This is a parable showing the condition of the hypocrites and the weak-heart-ed ones. When difficulties and distresses befell the Muslims — when it became dark —the hypocrites and the weak-hearted stood still. They refused to keep company with theMuslims in the battles which the latter had to fight. When there was a flash of lightning,and a success followed — a success so great that it almost blinded them — they wouldwalk on a little and seem to be keeping company with the Muslims. The same idea is

Part 1] LIP-PROFESSION 13

SECTION 3: Divine Unity

21 O men, serve your Lord Whocreated you and those before you, sothat you may guard against evil,

22 Who made the earth a resting-place for you and the heaven a struc-ture,a and sends down rain from theclouds then brings forth with it fruitsfor your sustenance; so do not set uprivals to Allåh while you know.

23 And if you are in doubt as tothat which We have revealed to Ourservant, then produce a chapter likeita and call on your helpers besidesAllåh if you are truthful.b

24 But if you do (it) not — and youcan never do (it) — then be on yourguard against the fire whose fuel ismen and stones;a it is prepared forthe disbelievers.

expressed in 22:11 in the following words: “And among men is he who serves Allåh,(standing) on the verge, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith, but if a trialafflicts him he turns back headlong.” The difficulties and distresses which the Muslimsexperienced in the early days of Islåm greatly obstructed its spread and held back manyof the weak-hearted, who, under better circumstances, would have gladly joined its ranks.

22a. The word binå’ signifies a structure (LL) in its widest sense, viz., any produc-tion or piece of work consisting of parts joined together in some definite manner. Theheaven is here called a structure in reference to the order which prevails in heavenly bodies. But binå’ is also used to signify the roof or the ceiling of a house, and as such it isused figuratively to indicate the vast blue overhead. Attention is thus drawn to the one-ness of humanity, as if it were a single family living in one resting-place under one roof.

23a. A similar challenge is contained in 10:38, and in 11:13 doubters are challengedto produce ten chapters like it, while in 17:88, a very early revelation, the whole ofmankind are declared to be unable to produce a book like the Qur’ån. Is it a question ofmere style and diction? The Qur’ån itself does not say so, nor does any saying of theHoly Prophet. That the Qur‘ån is a unique production of Arabic literature and has everbeen regarded as the standard of the purity of that literature, goes without saying, but thechief characteristic of the Holy Book, in which no other book can claim equality with it,is the wonderful transformation which it accomplished, and it is to this characteristicthat it lays claim in the very commencement when it says that this Book is a guide (2:2).That the transformation wrought by it is unparalleled in the history of the world isadmitted on all hands, for if the Holy Prophet was the “most successful of all prophets

23b, 24a, see next page.


Part 1] DIVINE UNITY 15

25 And give good news to thosewho believe and do good deeds, thatfor them are Gardens in which riversflow.a Whenever they are given a por-tionb of the fruit thereof, they will say:This is what was given to us before;and they are given the like of it.c Andfor them therein are pure companionsd

and therein they will abide.

and religious personalities” (En. Br. 11th ed., Art. Koran), this success was due to noother cause than the Qur’ån. Its injunctions swept off the most deep-rooted evils, likeidolatry and drunkenness, so as to leave no trace of them in the Arabian peninsula, weldedthe warring elements of Arabian society into one nation, and made an ignorant peoplethe foremost torchbearers of knowledge and science, and a politically down-troddenpeople the masters of the greatest empire of the world. Besides, every word of theQur’ån gives expression to Divine majesty and glory in a manner which is notapproached by any other sacred book. The challenge remains unanswered to this day.

23b. The word shuhadå’, translated as helpers or leaders, is the plural of shahßd,meaning one who gives information of what he has witnessed, or one who knows anddeclares what he knows, or one possessing much knowledge (LL). Shahßd also means animåm or a leader.

24a. The word stones stands for al-√ijårah, the plural of √ajar, meaning stone, socalled because it resists by reason of its hardness; the verb √ajara signifies he prevented,hindered, forbade, etc. (LL). By stones are here generally understood the idols which theArabs worshipped, even unhewn stones being sometimes the objects of worship amongthem. But the word √ijårah may bear another significance. According to LA, you say:“Such an one was assailed with the √ajar of the earth,” when his assailant is a formidable man. And when Mu‘åwiyah named ‘Amr ibn ‘Å© as one of the two umpiresto decide the quarrel between himself and ‘Alß, A√naf said to ‘Alß: “Thou hast had a√ajar (exceedingly sagacious and crafty and politic man) made to be an assailant againstthee” (LL). The reference in √ijårah may, therefore, be to the leaders spoken of in theprevious verse, while nås would stand for the common people.

25a. Gardens with rivers flowing in them is the ever-recurring description of afuture life of the righteous that occurs in the Holy Qur’ån. Elsewhere, the pure word offaith is compared to a tree which gives its fruit in all seasons (14:24). Belief is thus likea seed cast into the ground, growing into a tree and bearing fruit when properly nurtured.The rivers represent the good deeds which are necessary to the growth of the seed. Itshould be borne in mind that the description of paradise as given in the Holy Qur’ån isexpressly stated to be a parable: “A parable of the Garden which is promised to thosewho keep their duty” (13:35; 47:15). The righteous are spoken of as having gardens inthe next life to show that they have made the seed of faith to grow into extensive gardens, and this is in reference to the vast development of their inner self or of the faculties which God has given them.

25b. Rizq (lit., sustenance) also signifies √a˚˚ or a portion (LL). The fruits of thelife after death are the consequences of the deeds done in this life.

25c, 25d, see next page.

26 Surely Allåh disdains not to setforth any parablea — a gnat or any-thing above that. Then as for thosewho believe, they know that it is thetruth from their Lord; and as forthose who disbelieve, they say: Whatis it that Allåh means by this parable?Many He leaves in error by it andmany He leads aright by it. And Heleaves in error by it only the trans-gressors,b

25c. The meaning seems to be that whenever the faithful are made to taste of aportion of the fruits of their good deeds in the life to come, they will find those fruits somuch resembling the fruits which they tasted spiritually in this life that they will thinkthat the same fruits are given to them again. Or the words may signify: This is what waspromised to us before. The like of it may signify that the fruits of their deeds will be similar to those deeds.

25d. The pure mates or companions may be the believing wives of the faithful, aselsewhere we have: “They and their wives are in shades, reclining on raised couches”(36:56). But more probably these are among the blessings of the heavenly life to whichmen and women are equally entitled. The true nature of these blessings is pointed outelsewhere under the word ƒ∂r in 52:20a, but it may be remarked here that all the blessings of heavenly life are according to a saying of the Holy Prophet “things whichno eye has seen and no ear has heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man to conceive of them” (B. 59:8). The words in which these blessings are depicted in the HolyQur’ån, therefore, should not be taken literally.

26a. The parables to which reference is contained in these words are the parablesspeaking of the weakness of the false deities; see 29:41: “The parable of those who takeguardians besides Allåh is as the parable of the spider that makes for itself a house, andsurely the frailest of the houses is the spider’s house”; and 22:73: “O people, a parable isset forth, so listen to it. Surely those whom you call upon besides Allåh cannot create afly though they should all gather for it. And if the fly carry off aught from them, theycannot take it back from it. Weak are (both) the invoker and the invoked.”

Instead of the spider and the fly, however, the gnat is mentioned here because theba‘∂˙ah, or the gnat, is among the Arabs a proverbially weak creature, so that to expressthe utmost degree of weakness they say, weaker than the gnat.

26b. According to R, i˙lål (ordinarily translated as leading astray) has a two-foldsignificance. It means leading one astray as well as finding one as erring; a˙laltu ba‘ßrßmeans I found that my camel had gone astray. Another significance of the word a˙alla ishe adjudged or pronounced him to have gone astray, as a˙alla-nß ©adßqß, occurring in averse, is explained as meaning my friend pronounced me to be in error (LL). It is said ofthe Prophet in a ƒadßth that he came to a people fa-a˙alla-hum, which does not mean thathe led them astray but that he found them to have gone astray (N). The same authorityquotes other instances of a similar use of the measure if‘ål, as aƒmadtu-h∂ means, not Ipraised him but, I found him praiseworthy, and abkhaltu-h∂ means I found him parsimo-nious or avaricious. It is a plain fact that Allåh guides people or shows them the rightway by sending His messengers, and therefore He could not be spoken of as leading them


Part 1] DIVINE UNITY 17

27 Who break the covenant ofAllåh after its confirmationa and cutasunder what Allåh has ordered to bejoined, and make mischief in theland. These it is that are the losers.

28 How can you deny Allåh andyou were without life and He gaveyou life? Again, He will cause you todie and again bring you to life, thenyou shall be brought back to Him.a

29 He it is Who created for you allthat is in the earth. Anda He directedHimself to the heaven, so He madethem complete seven heavens;b andHe is Knower of all things.

astray. And the objects of i˙lål are always the transgressors as here, or the wrong-doersas in 14:27, or the prodigal as in 40:34. And again it is the devil that leads astray as in28:15, or the transgressors as in 6:119, etc. Hence, when ascribed to God, the word a˙allameans He pronounced him to be erring or He left him in error.

27a. The covenant of Allåh referred to here is the evidence of His Unity to whichhuman nature bears witness, as referred to in the next verse, and as stated in 7:172. Theconfirmation of this covenant is brought about by sending prophets. Cutting off whatAllåh has ordered to be joined is the disregard of others’ rights.

28a. The first part of the verse contains an argument of the existence of God Whogave life to man, and the second states that death on this earth is not the end of life butthe beginning of another, an eternal and a far higher life.

29a. Thumma generally denotes then or afterwards, and it is a particle denotingorder and delay, but there are many examples of its use in which it implies neither ordernor delay. According to Akh and other authorities, thumma has often the meaning of wåw,i.e., and (LL). For the statement that the earth was made after the heavens, see 79:30.

29b. It is impossible to deal with the subject of the Quranic cosmogony within thelimits of a footnote. But a few suggestions may be made here. In the first place, it should be noted that the word sab’a, which signifies the number seven, is also used in avague manner, as meaning seven, or more, several or many (LL). According to LA, theArabic equivalents of the numbers seven, seventy, and seven hundred are all used toindicate a large number by the Arabs: “The mention of seven and seventy and seven hun-dred is frequent in the Qur’ån and the sayings of the Holy Prophet, and the Arabs usedthem to signify a large number and multiplicity”. Similarly Az explains the wordsab‘ßna, meaning seventy, as occurring in 9:80, as being “used to signify a large numberand multiplicity, not indicating exactness in number” (LA). Hence the seven heavensmay signify a large number of heavens. Secondly, the significance of the word samå’,which means only what we see above us, should not be lost sight of. R makes the mean-ing very clear when he says: “Every samå’, i.e. heaven, is a heaven in relation to what isbeneath it and an earth in relation to what is above it”. Thirdly, in 65:12 it is affirmedthat as there are seven heavens so there is a like number of earths, which corroborates

SECTION 4: Greatness of Man and Need for Revelation

30 And when thy Lord said to theangels,a I am going to place a rulerb

in the earth, they said: Wilt Thouplace in it such as make mischief in itand shed blood? c And we celebrate

the conclusion drawn above. Fourthly, the seven heavens are on one occasion called theseven ways (23:17), and in this sense the orbit of a planet may be called its heaven. Infact, this interpretation makes the significance of 65:12 very clear, for each of the sevenearths will thus have a heaven for it. The seven earths together with our earth would thusmake up the eight major primary planets of the solar system. Or, the seven heavens maybe taken to apply to the whole starry creation, and the reference may in this case be tothe seven magnitudes of the stars which may be seen by the naked eye.

One point more may be noted here. The samå’ or the heaven is plainly calleddukhån, i.e. smoke or vapour, in 41:11.

30a. The Arabic word for angels is malå’ikah, which is the plural of malak. It is saidto be derived, either from malaka which means he controlled, and refers to the angels’function of controlling the forces of nature on the physical side of life, or from alk, to send,the original being in this case ma’lak, contracted into malak, and refers to the angels’ spiri-tual function of acting as intermediaries between God and man. Both root ideas thus con-tain a reference to the principal functions ascribed to the angels. The existence of suchintermediaries has been recognized by righteous men in all ages and all countries.

It will also be seen, from what has been said above as to the functions of the angelicbeings, that Allåh’s saying to them is really the expression of an intention which is to bebrought into execution. It is not a conversation, or a consultation with the angels; it is anexpression of the Divine will to those intermediary beings who are entrusted by the DivineBeing with the execution of it. It may also be added that by the angels here are meant theangels entrusted with this particular affair, not all the angels of the universe (IJ).

30b. This shows the high place that man was destined to hold in the whole of cre-ation. The original word khalßfah (from khalafa, meaning he came after or succeededanother that had perished or died), means primarily a successor, and hence the supremeor the greatest ruler who supplies the place of him who has been before him (T, LL).IMsd and I‘Ab explain khalßfah as meaning one who judges among, or rules, the crea-tures of Allåh by His command (IJ). What is stated here is an allegorical description of thepreference of man above the whole of the creation on this earth, and then of the electionof those righteous servants of Allåh from among men themselves who lead others into theright path. One of the significances suggested by the commentators is that the word khalß-fah here refers to the children of Adam, i.e., the whole of mankind. The correctness of thisview is corroborated by the Qur’ån itself, which says, referring to the whole of mankind:“and He it is Who has made you successors in the land (or rulers in the earth)” (6:165),the word used for rulers being khalå’if, plural of khalßfah. Hence the reference hereseems to be to the whole of mankind. References to Adam are contained in 2:30–39 andin 3:59; 7:11–25; 15:28– 44; 17:61–65; 18:50; 20:115–124 and 38:71–85.

30c. God declares His will to the angels, the controlling forces of nature, to createman who is meant to rule the forces of nature, and to whom, therefore, power to rule isto be delegated. Being entrusted with such great powers, man could use them rightly orwrongly, and it is to this fear of abuse of power that the angels give expression, theythemselves being only executors of Divine will in which they have no choice. The con-cluding words of this verse show that God knew that man would abuse the power givento him, but He also knew that he would turn it to good use as well. The whole history of


Part 1] GREATNESS OF MAN 19

Thy praise and extol Thy holiness.d

He said: Surely I know what youknow not.

31 And He taught Adama all thenames,b then presented them to theangels; He said: Tell Me the namesof those if you are right.c

32 They said: Glory be to Thee! wehave no knowledge but that whichThou hast taught us. Surely Thou artthe Knowing, the Wise.

33 He said: O Adam, inform themof their names. So when he informedthem of their names, He said: Did I

man is briefly written in this one verse. Man is the greatest killer on this earth but he alsoturns the gifts of God to the best use. The angels speak of the darker side of the pictureof humanity, but to God was known the brighter side as well as the darker side of thispicture. Hence the words, I know what you know not.

30d. While giving expression to the darker side of the picture of humanity, theseintermediaries declare that this could not be the Divine purpose, for God is free from allimperfections, such being the significance of tasbß√ (LL), generally rendered as declar-ing the glory of God.

31a. Adam is generally taken to be the proper name for the first man, but neitherhere nor anywhere else in the Holy Qur’ån is it affirmed that Adam was the first man orthat there was no creation before him. On the other hand, great Muslim theologians haveheld that there were many Adams — thousands of Adams — before the great ancestor ofmankind known by this name (RM). As the previous verse shows, the whole of humani-ty is spoken of here because the shedding of blood could not be the work of one man;the reference is to the shedding of the blood of man by man. Adam, therefore, though itmay also be the name of a particular man, stands for man generally.

31b. Explaining asmå’, which literally signifies names (being plural of ism, meaninga name), Rz says: “He taught him the attributes of things and their descriptions and theircharacteristics, for the attributes of a thing are indicative of its nature”. Teaching Adam thenames therefore signifies the vast capability of man and the superiority of his knowledgeto that of the angels. Or, the reference may be to the faculty of speech, which is the realsource of the excellence of man above the whole of creation. To this the Holy Qur’ånrefers elsewhere too: “He created man, taught him (the mode of) expression” (55:3, 4).

31c. Man’s superiority to the angels is made clear here. The angels were not giftedwith the knowledge which was given to man, and the gift of knowledge was the greatestgift of God. The form of dialogue is kept up to indicate eternal truths. Man might be amaker of mischief and a shedder of blood, but he possessed vast capability for knowledge,and hence the angels’ estimate of man, which looked only to the darker side of the picture,was not a right estimate. Evil there might be in him, but the good was preponderant.

Note that ©idq (lit., truth) sometimes signifies ©awåb, or that which is right, as kidhb(lit., falsehood) sometimes signifies kha∆a’, i.e., that which is wrong (Rz).

not say to you that I know what isunseen in the heavens and the earth?And I know what you manifest andwhat you hide.a

34 And when We said to theangels, Be submissive to Adam,a

they submitted, but Iblßsb (did not).c

He refused and was proud, and hewas one of the disbelievers.d

33a. “What you hide” refers to those great qualities in man which preponderate theevil in him, and which remain hidden until they are made manifest through the Divinegift of knowledge. The immense capability of man for progress remains hidden, whilethe evil of shedding blood is manifested in a very primary stage in his growth.

34a. Sajada is really synonymous with kha˙‘a, i.e., he was lowly or submissive (LL).In the Holy Qur’ån, the word is frequently used to signify simple submission. And youalso say, sajada la-h∂, meaning he saluted him or he paid respect or honour to him (LL).

What is the significance of the angels being submissive to Adam? In the first place,it must be remembered that Adam throughout this section stands for man generally; sosubmission is not limited to one particular man; it is to man generally. Secondly, it hasalready been shown that man has a superiority over the angels on account of his greatgift of knowledge of things, the angels being the controlling powers of the forces ofnature. By his knowledge man could harness the forces of nature and exercise controlover them; in other words, the angels submitted to him.

34b. Iblßs was not one of the angels: “He was of the jinn, so he transgressed”(18:50). In v. 36 he is called Satan. It should be borne in mind that Iblßs and Satan (Ar.shai∆ån) refer to one and the same being. The word Iblßs is used when the Evil one’s evilis limited to himself, and Satan, when his evil affects others besides himself; or Iblßs isthe proud one, and Satan the deceiver. Iblßs is derived from balasa, meaning hedespaired, and Shai∆ån from sha∆ana, meaning he became distant or remote. The sameentity is thus mentioned under two different names; he is called Iblßs because he despairsof the mercy of God and Shai∆ån because he allures others to do things which removethem further off from Divine mercy. Iblßs therefore stands for the lower desires whichkeep man off from bowing before God and seeking His mercy, and Satan incites the lowdesires of man to lead others away from the path of rectitude.

What is the significance underlying the refusal of Iblßs to submit to man? As shownin the last footnote, the angels’ submission meant that man could control the forces ofnature by his knowledge of things; he could conquer nature. But he himself was a part ofnature, and he could not conquer his own evil desires. His advancement lay in two direc-tions, the conquest of nature and the conquest of his own self. He could attain the firstend by the power of knowledge with which he was gifted, but the higher end, the con-quest of self, needed yet another act of Divine mercy, the sending of Divine Revelation;and this is explained in this story of Adam in v. 38.

34c. The thing excepted by means of illå (lit., except) is in some cases disunited inkind from that from which the exception is made, and the statement which follows illåis, therefore, a new statement altogether cut off from the first. Therefore instead ofadopting the ordinary rendering, with the exception of Iblßs, I adopt but Iblßs did not.

34d, see next page


Part 1] GREATNESS OF MAN 21

35 And We said: O Adam, dwellthou and thy wife in the garden,a andeat from it a plenteous (food)b wher-ever you wish, and approach not thistree,c lest you be of the unjust.

36 But the devil made them slipfrom it,a and caused them to departfrom the state in which they were.And We said: Go forth,b some of youare the enemies of others. And there

34d. Note that he refused to submit because he was a disbeliever, which furthercorroborates the statement that he was not one of the angels.

35a. The garden spoken of in this verse was on this earth, as it was on the earththat man was placed. It was certainly not the paradise to which men go after death, andfrom which they will never be expelled (15:48). The placing in the garden signifies leading a life of ease and comfort, as is shown by the words that follow: “Eat from it aplenteous food wherever you wish”. And more clearly still, the life in the garden is thusdescribed in 20:117–119: “So let him not drive you both out of the garden so that thouart unhappy. Surely it is granted to thee therein that thou art not hungry, nor naked. Andthat thou art not thirsty therein, nor exposed to the sun’s heat”. And now, as it were, tocomplete the picture of happiness, the woman is brought in, and both Adam and his wifeare made to dwell in the garden, though there is no mention of the wife in what has gonebefore. All this shows that life in the garden meant a life of comfort, ease and happiness.

35b. Raghad here either qualifies an understood noun, and the meaning is a plenteous food, or it is indicative of the condition of Adam and Eve, and the words maythus be rendered: Eat from it wherever you wish, having abundance of all things.

35c. According to the Bible, the tree which Adam was forbidden to approach wasthe tree of knowledge of good and evil; the Qur’ån does not say so. On the other hand,where the devil deceives man, he calls it “the tree of immortality” (20:120). It was there-fore just the opposite of what the devil stated it to be. It was the tree of death, the spiritu-al death of man — the tree of evil. Adam undoubtedly stands for man in the whole ofthis description, and it is evil which man is again and again forbidden to approach, and itis evil against which all prophets of God have warned men. In the Qur’ån, it is alwayscalled this tree, which further shows that it was something which was known to man,and there is not the least doubt that not only has man been warned against evil through-out his history, but hatred for evil is also innate in him. That man hates evil by nature isshown by the fact that every man condemns evil when it is done by another. As regardsthe figurative use of the word tree, compare 14:24–26, where a good word is likened to“a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches are high, yielding its fruit in everyseason”, and an evil word is likened to “an evil tree pulled up from the earth’s surface; ithas no stability”. The order to eat from the earth a plenteous food but not to approachevil is really a description of what pure human nature is. Man is entitled to all thebenefits of nature to maintain the body, to harness the forces of nature for his physical comforts and happiness, so long as he does not forget his soul. It is an order notto pamper the body at the expense of the soul, but it is as yet an order innate in humannature, not an order given by Divine Revelation — the need for revelation comes onlater.

36a, 36b, see next page.

is for you in the earth an abode and aprovision for a time.c

37 Then Adam received (revealed)words from his Lord, and He turnedto him (mercifully).a Surely He isOft-returning (to mercy), theMerciful.

36a. Azalla (translated as made them slip) is derived from zall, to slip (foot ortongue) unintentionally (R), and zallat is a fault committed unintentionally (R). Azalla-humå therefore means the devil made them commit a fault unintentionally. The resultwas that they were made to depart from the happy condition in which they were. Thelesson taught here is that real happpiness lies in peace of mind, so that when the peace ofmind is disturbed by committing an evil, even if it be unintentional, physical happinessdoes not avail a man.

How did the devil do it? Here the Qur’ån again contradicts the Bible. It was not theserpent that misled Eve, nor did Eve mislead Adam. The devil cast an evil suggestioninto the minds of both Adam and Eve, as he casts evil suggestions into the mind of everyson and daughter of Adam and Eve: “But the devil made an evil suggestion to them thathe might make manifest to them that which had been hidden from them of their shame”(7:20).

36b. Hab∆ sometimes means going down a declivity, or descending from a highplace to a low one, but its more frequent use in literature is simply in the sense ofremoving from one place to another, as in ihbi∆∂ mi©r-an (2:61), which means go to, orenter into, a city. It also signifies simply change in condition. According to LL, haba∆ameans he came forth from it and also he became lowered or degraded. And hab∆ furthersignifies falling into evil; or becoming low or abject; or suffering loss or diminution.This loss or suffering is brought about by means of indulgence in evil.

The new condition in which man finds himself by submitting to his low desires isthe condition of the mutual enmity of one to the other, the tyranny of man to man beingundoubtedly the greatest evil which man can commit. The use of the words “some ofyou are the enemies of others” shows clearly that this address is not to Adam and Evealone, but to all mankind or man in general.

36c. The words “an abode and a provision for a time” refer to man’s span of lifeon earth, which is limited as compared with the eternal life of the next world.

37a. The Arabic word taubah (repentance) gives us in fact the philosophy of repen-tance. Tåba originally means he returned, and hence the primary meaning of tåba il-Allåhi is he returned to Allåh. In religious terminology the word taubah comes to meanthe returning to a state of obedience. Thus taubah implies a perfect change in the courseof one’s life, and this is repentence according to the Holy Qur’ån. It is not an utterance ofcertain words, but an actual change for the better. The same word tåba is used to expressthe Divine act of the acceptance of repentance, with reference again to the original meaning of the word, because in this case the Divine Being deals with man mercifully.

Kalimåt (words) here means the revealed words of God. Man is found too weak toovercome the evil suggestions of the devil or the evil inclinations in him, howeverstrong he may be to conquer the forces of nature. So God comes to his help and revealsHimself to him. He sends down revelation which, strengthening his faith in God, giveshim the strength to overcome the devil and reject his suggestions.


Part 1] ISRAELITE PROPHECIES FULFILLED IN QUR’ÅN 23

38 We said: Go forth from this(state) all. Surely there will come toyou a guidance from Me, then who-ever follows My guidance, no fearshall come upon them, nor shall theygrieve.a

39 And (as to) those who dis-believe in and reject Our messages,a

they are the companions of the Fire;in it they will abide.b

SECTION 5: Israelite Prophecies fulfilled in Qur’ån

40 O Children of Israel, call tomind My favour which I bestowedon you and be faithful to (your)

38a. This section is now closed with the statement of a general law that DivineRevelation will be granted to the whole of humanity and prophets will appear every-where from time to time, and that it would be by following the Guidance sent by Godthrough His prophets that men will attain to perfection. This state of perfection isdescribed as a state in which “no fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve”. Theman who truly follows the Divine Revelation shall have no fear of the devil misleadinghim, for he has subjugated his devil, nor shall he grieve that he wasted the opportunitygiven him in this life, for he turned it to the best use.

39a. The word åyat (plural åyåt), which occurs for the first time here, is of very frequent occurrence in the Holy Qur’ån and conveys a number of significances. The primary meaning of åyat is an apparent sign or mark (R), by which a thing is known.Hence it comes to signify a sign as meaning an indication or evidence or proof (T, LL).In this sense it signifies what is called a mu‘jizah or a miracle, instead of which the HolyQur’ån always uses the word åyat, thus showing that the miracles of which it speaks arenot wonders but actual evidence or proof of the truth of a prophet. But the most frequentuse of the word åyat in the Holy Qur’ån is to signify a message or a communication andit is in this sense that the word is applied to a verse of the Holy Qur’ån, i.e., a collectionof the words of the Holy Qur’ån continued to its breaking, or a portion of the Qur’ånafter which a suspension of the speech is approvable (T, LL). But it generally retains thewider significance of a sign or a mark, or a Divine message or a Divine communication.

39b. As against those who attain to perfection by following the Divine message, thepeople spoken of in this verse are those who not only disbelieve but also exert their utmostto oppose revealed truth and uproot it. Such people are described as companions of theFire. They keep company with evil in this life, so the fire becomes their companion in thenext to purge them of the evil consequences of their evil deeds. Their hearts burn with evilpassions in this life, and it is this very fire that assumes a palpable shape in the next.

Khalada signifies originally he remained or abode, or remained or abode long, beingsynonymous with aqåma (A). Hence you say khwålid (plural of khålid), meaning the threestones upon which the cooking-pot is placed, so called because of their remaining for a

covenant with Me, I shall fulfil (My)covenant with you;a and Me, Mealone, should you fear.

41 And believe in that which I haverevealed, verifying that which is withyou,a and be not the first to deny it;neither take a mean priceb for Mymessages; and keep your duty to Me,Me alone.

42 And mix not up truth with false-hood, nor hide the truth while youknow.a

long time after the standing relics of a house have become effaced (LL). Thereforekhålid∂n signifies simply abiding, and does not necessarily convey the idea of perpetuity.

40a. After speaking of the need of Divine Revelation, the Qur’ån now speaks of anation to whom this favour was granted, among whom many prophets were raised andwho were also made rulers in the earth: “Remember the favour of Allåh to you when Heraised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He gave not to anyother of the nations” (5:20). The Jewish people who are addressed here are generallymentioned as Children of Israel, Israel being the other name of Jacob, son of Isaac, sonof Abraham.

As for the covenants spoken of here, see Deut. 26:17–19: “Thou hast avouched theLord this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes, and Hiscommandments, and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice. And the Lord hathavouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and that thoushouldst keep all His commandments; and to make thee high above all nations which Hehath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour”. The “hearkening unto the voice of theLord” means the acceptance of the revelation to the promised prophet of Deut. 18:18, asDeut. 18:19 shows clearly: “And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearkenunto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him”.

41a. The verification referred to here is clearly the fulfilment of the promise con-tained in Deut. 18:15–18: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from themidst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken .... I will raisethem up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put My words inhis mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him”. It is nowhere butin the Holy Qur’ån that the “word of God”, as promised here, is “put into the Prophet’smouth”, and no prophet ever claimed to have come in fulfilment of this prophecy exceptthe Holy Prophet Muƒammad. The whole of the Israelite history after Moses is silent asto the appearance of the promised prophet of Deut. Even Jesus Christ never said that hecame in fulfilment of that prophecy and his apostles truly felt that difficulty when theythought that that prophecy would be fulfilled in the second coming of Christ. But one ofthe earliest messages of the Holy Prophet was that he was the like of the prophet sent toPharaoh (73:15), and the claim is often repeated in the Holy Qur’ån.

41b. The religious leaders are specially addressed in this section. They rejected thetruth which the Prophet brought, fearing to lose their high position as leaders. They thussacrificed truth to the inducements of this life, and took “a mean price” for it.

42a, see next page.


Part 1] DIVINE FAVOURS ON ISRAEL 25

43 And keep up prayer and pay thepoor-ratea and bow down with thosewho bow down.

44 Do you enjoin men to be goodand neglect your own souls whileyou read the Book? Have you thenno sense?a

45 And seek assistance throughpatience and prayer,a and this is hardexcept for the humble ones,

46 Who knowa that they will meettheir Lord and that to Him they willreturn.

SECTION 6: Divine Favours on Israel

47 O Children of Israel, call tomind My favour which I bestowed

42a. It is again the religious leaders who are spoken of here: “Mixing up the truthwith falsehood” signifies their mixing up the prophecy with their own false interpreta-tions of it, and thus making obscure the prophecy itself, while “hiding the truth” signifiestheir concealing the prophecy itself, for they often commanded their followers not todisclose to the Muslims those prophecies which were known to them. Compare v. 76.Or, by the truth is meant that which was revealed to their prophets, and by falsehoodtheir own ideas which they mixed up with Divine Revelation.

43a. These are the two fundamental principles of religion, worship of God throughprayer to Him, and service of humanity or helping the poor.

44a. The leaders enjoined their followers to be good because they could not remainleaders otherwise, but their own lives were corrupt. They read the Book and yet they didnot follow it; how could the ignorant masses benefit by their preaching?

45a. A sign of the promised prophet of Deut. 18:18 was that he would utter prophe-cies which would prove true. “And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the wordwhich the Lord hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if thething follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, butthe prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him” (Deut. 18:21,22). The Qur’ån had in the Prophet’s utter helplessness at Makkah, and when the Quraishwere day and night planning to take away his very life, uttered forcible predictions of thefinal triumph of the Prophet and of the vanquishment and discomfiture of his opponents,and those prophecies were now being fulfilled. They were, therefore, asked to wait untilthe Truth shone out in its full resplendence and to seek Divine help through prayer.

46a. Òann signifies thought, opinion or conjecture, and also knowledge or certaintywhich “is obtained by considering with endeavour to understand, not by ocular per-ception, or not such as relates to an object of sense” (LL).

on you and that I made you excel thenations.a

48 And guard yourselves against aday when no soul will avail anotherin the least,a neither will intercessionbe accepted on its behalf,b nor willcompensation be taken from it, norwill they be helped.

49 And when We delivered youfrom Pharaoh’s people, who subject-ed you to severe torment,a killingyour sons and sparing your women,b

and in this there was a great trialfrom your Lord.

47a. By “the nations” are meant the people contemporaneous with the Israelites intheir days of triumph, or large masses of people (AH). Numerous prophets were raisedamong them, and they were made to rule in the earth, and these are the favours of whichMoses also reminds them (5:20).

48a. The Jewish religious leaders are specially addressed in the previous section.The masses who followed them blindly are now told that their leaders will not avail themaught on the great day of Reckoning when every soul is held responsible for what it did.

48b. Shaf å‘at (meaning intercession) is derived from the root shaf‘, whichsignifies the making a thing to be one of a pair (T, LL) or the adjoining a thing to its like(R), and hence it comes to signify intercession. The doctrine of shaf å‘at or intercessionis a well-known doctrine, according to which the prophets and the righteous will inter-cede for the sinners on the day of Judgment. But intercession has another significancealso, which is referred to in 4:85, viz., the institution of a way which another imitates, sothat the latter, in fact, joins himself to his model, and this is really the primarysignificance of shaf å‘at. Thus shaf å‘at has a twofold significance, viz., firstly it enablesa man to walk in the ways of righteousness by imitating his model, and, secondly, itaffords him a shelter from the evil consequences of certain weaknesses which he isunable to overcome by himself.

The statement made here, that intercession shall not be accepted on a certain day, isin reference to those who have not made themselves deserving of intercession by joiningthemselves with a righteous servant of God, so as to take him for their model. It is onlypeople who have done their best to follow a righteous servant of God and failed in somerespects owing to mortal weaknesses that can benefit by intercession, not those who payno regard at all to Divine commandments.

49a. No details of the oppressions to which the Israelites were subjected are givenin the Holy Qur’ån. According to the Bible: “They did set over them taskmasters toafflict them with their burdens” (Exod. 1:11); “And they made their lives bitter with hardbondage, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service,wherein they made them serve, was with rigour” (Exod. 1:14).

49b. See Exod. 1:15–18 and also 1:22: “And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shallsave alive”. The object was to demoralize and extirpate the Israelites.


Al-Baqarah: The Cow

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